Radiator connector fitting

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for connecting a heating apparatus to the feed and return sections of a heating system of a building, wherein there is a water inlet channel with an inlet and an outlet connection, wherein the feed section of the heating system can be attached on the inlet connection, and the inlet of the heating apparatus can be attached on the outlet connection, there is a water outlet channel with an inlet and an outlet connection, wherein the outlet of the heating apparatus can be attached on the inlet connection, and the return section of the heating system can be attached on the outlet connection, and there is at least one connection, in particular a side connection, to the water inlet channel and/or to the water outlet channel between the inlet and outlet connections for a measuring device, pump, and/or a connecting hose.

The invention relates to a fitting for connecting a radiator to the supply and return of a heater for a building.

For regulating flow it is known to provide a manually actuatable valve, in particular a thermostat valve, at the inlet of a radiator. If the valve is to be changed, the radiator and frequently also some of the piping must be drained.

The object of the invention is to improve a connector fitting of the type described above such that, given simpler and more compact structure, a valve, pump, and/or hose can be rapidly and simply connected and replaced.

This object is attained in accordance with the invention using the characterizing portions of claims 1 and 2.

A service adapter is created for the radiator, the adapter having a simple and compact structure and, with the least complexity, enabling connection of a pump, meter, in particular a sensor, and/or a hose for filling and draining. Neither connecting, removing, nor exchanging requires that the radiator be drained. The number of components is low, the installation complexity is reduced, and series production is possible.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims. Three illustrated embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and described in greater detail in the following.

FIG. 1 shows a connector fitting with attached pump;

FIG. 2 shows a connector fitting with attached hose;

FIG. 3 shows a connector fitting with attached shunt part.

The connector fitting 1 has a housing (body) 2 made of metal or plastic that is essentially H-shaped with two short tubular parts 3 and 4 that are parallel to and spaced from each other and that are unitarily molded with a center connecting bridge 5. Between an inlet connector 3 a and an outlet connector 3 b the first tubular part 3 forms a water outlet passage 6, the inlet connector 3 a being attachable to an outlet 7 of a radiator 8 and the outlet connector 3 b being attachable to a return of a heater (heat source, in particular a boiler). On the side of the first tubular part 3 that faces away from the connecting bridge 5 is a blockable outlet 9 that leads to the outlet passage 6 and to which a valve can be connected, in particular a thermostat valve, a meter, a pump, or a hose.

Between its inlet connector 4 a and its outlet connector 4 b, the second tubular part 4 forms a water inlet passage 10 that is parallel to the water outlet 6, the inlet connector 4 a being connectable to the supply of the heater and the outlet connector 4 b being connectable to the inlet 11 of the radiator. The water inlet passage 10 is not throughgoing but rather forms a bypass in the form of two branches 12 and 13 that are parallel to one another and that extend at a right angle to the flow direction of the water inlet passage and that lead to a blocking device 14 that has a rotary disk valve 14 a that can close both branches 12 and 13 can be closed. As an interface, the blocking device 14 forms a lateral service adapter to which a pump 15, meter, hose 16 having a hose coupling 19, or a bypass 17 can be releasably externally attached in particular via a bayonet joint. The supply for the heating thus flows to the radiator 8 through the passages 10, 12, and 13 via the attached part. Alternatively, the pump 15 and its housing 15 a can also be non-releasably joined, in particular integrally, to the device housing 2 so that it is an integrated component of the fitting 1.

If one of the parts on the adapter or on the blocking device 14 is to be connected or changed, the valve body (in particular a ceramic disk) 14 a must simply first be closed so that hot water cannot flow out during this connecting or changing process. If a pump 15 is connected, it can be used to regulate the temperature of the radiator 8; no valve, in particular no thermostat valve, is needed.

The bypass 17 (FIG. 3) has an outer handle 18 that is joined to the valve actuator 14 a of the blocking device 14 so that the blocking device 14 can be adjusted manually, in particular for opening and closing.

Temperature sensor and/or flow sensors 20 and, 21 are provided in or at the water outlet passage 6 and/or in or at the water inlet passage 10.

If a pump is connected to the fitting and thus to the heat exchanger or to the radiator, this pump has the effect of a local pump, i.e. a pump is provided only for the one radiator or for one heat exchanger. The assignment of a local pump to a heat exchanger means that one pump, in particular one pump alone is provided per heat exchanger in order to ensure the fluid flow through the respective heat exchanger. A local pump can be arranged spatially directly with a heat exchanger, as is known from the arrangement of conventional thermostat valves, that is for instance in the supply, or even in the return. This is not absolutely necessary, however. A local pump can be arranged somewhere in a sub-network of a pipeline network in which only the at least one local pump and the associated heat exchanger are disposed. Thus e.g. all local pumps of all heat exchangers can also be provided centrally, e.g. near a heat generator, for instance in the cellar of a building. 

1. A fitting for connecting a radiator to the supply and return of a heater for a building, characterized by a water inlet passage having an inlet connector and an outlet connector, the supply of the heater being attachable at the inlet connector and the inlet of the radiator being attachable at the outlet connector; a water outlet passage having an inlet connector and an outlet connector, the outlet of the radiator being attachable at the inlet connector and the return of the heater being attachable at the outlet connector; at least one accessory at the water inlet passage or at the water outlet passage between the inlet connector and the outlet connector for a meter, pump, or connecting hose.
 2. A fitting for connecting a radiator to the supply and return of a heater for a building, wherein a water inlet passage having an inlet connector and an outlet connector, the supply of the heater being attachable at the inlet connector and the inlet of the radiator being attachable at the outlet connector; a water outlet passage having an inlet connector and an outlet connector, the outlet of the radiator being attachable at the inlet connector and the return of the heater being attachable at the outlet connector; at least one pump attached laterally at the water inlet passage or at the water outlet passage between the inlet connector and the outlet connector and the housing of which is joined in particular integrally to the housing of the connector fitting.
 3. The fitting in accordance with claim 1 wherein the water inlet passage or the water outlet passage, between its inlet connector and its outlet connector, forms a bypass having two branches to the lateral accessory and in particular to the meter, the pump, or the hose.
 4. The fitting in accordance with claim 3 wherein the meter, the pump, or the connecting hose is releasably joined to the supply and the return of the bypass via the branches.
 5. The fitting in accordance with claim 1 wherein, for connecting or blocking the meter, a pump, or a hose, lateral to the water inlet passage or the water outlet passage the branches that lead to the passage in particular the bypass can be blocked by a blocking device.
 6. The fitting in accordance with claim 5 wherein the blocking device is a rotary disk valve.
 7. The fitting in accordance with claim 1 wherein the water inlet passage and the water outlet passage are formed with the inlet connector and the outlet connector from the same fitting body.
 8. The fitting in accordance with claim 1 wherein in the water inlet passage, inlet connector, and outlet connector are aligned with one another.
 9. The fitting in accordance with claim 1 wherein in the water outlet passage the inlet connector and the outlet connector are aligned with one another.
 10. The fitting in accordance with claim 1 wherein the inlet connector and the outlet connector of the water inlet passage and the inlet connector and the outlet connector of the water outlet passage are parallel to one another.
 11. The fitting in accordance with claim 1 wherein a connecting bridge of the fitting body is unitarily formed between the water inlet passage and the water outlet passage.
 12. The fitting in accordance with claim 1 wherein its body has an H-shape when viewed from the side.
 13. The fitting in accordance with claim 1 wherein the meter or the pump is/are arranged within the body of the fitting.
 14. The fitting in accordance with claim 1 wherein an attachment for filling or draining is arranged at the water inlet passage or at the water outlet passage.
 15. The fitting in accordance with claim 1 wherein the axes of all of the pipes and attachments are disposed in the same plane.
 16. The fitting in accordance with claim 1 wherein a temperature sensor or flow sensor is arranged in or at the water outlet passage or in or at the water inlet passage.
 17. The fitting in accordance with claim 1 wherein the meter, the pump, or the connecting hose can be attached to the fitting, in particular to the blocking device via a bayonet fitting.
 18. The fitting in accordance with claim 3 wherein a bypass can be connected at the lateral attachment and can be used to join the attachments of the bypass to one another.
 19. The fitting in accordance with claim 18, wherein the valve closing member of the blocking device can be actuated, in particular manually, using the bypass.
 20. A fitting for connection between a supply and return of a heat source and an inlet and an outlet of a radiator, the fitting comprising: a one-piece body extending along an axis, having two axially opposite ends and two transversely oppositely facing sides, and having on one side a transversely open inlet connector connectable to the heat-source supply and parallel thereto an outlet connector connectable to the heat-source return and on an opposite side a transversely open outlet connector connectable to the radiator inlet and parallel thereto an inlet connector connectable to the radiator outlet, each of the outlet connectors being transversely opposite to a respective one of the inlet connectors, the body being formed with two L-shaped passages each having a transversely extending branch opening at one of the connectors and another axially extending branch opening at one axial end of the body; a valve at the one axial end shiftable between a closed position blocking both of the axial branches and an open position unblocking both of the axial passages; and an accessory releasably connected to the one axial end and communicating with at least one of the axial branches. 